


something more

by haorizon, midoriyas



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, How Do I Tag, M/M, Rated teen for language, Shapeshifting, i tried so hard to stray away from that too OTL, very small hints of abuse if that makes anyone uncomfortable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 12:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12254427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haorizon/pseuds/haorizon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/midoriyas/pseuds/midoriyas
Summary: “What exactly were you doing last night to lose sleep, huh?” Jeonghan asks.Mingyu recalls amber eyes that reflected the diner’s purple neon sign. The little glint on its fang and the graceful way it moved to turn around and escape from Mingyu’s sight.





	something more

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by an amazing art piece that the artist took off their tumblr but here's a [link](http://albastian.tumblr.com/post/166156931183/annaxiin-hallucinations-of-anger-and-violence) to still see it! (i hope its okay to still link) and its so beautiful Q_Q its my laptop bg for awhile now haha
> 
> unbeta'd... i hope someone's able to enjoy nonetheless!

When day becomes night, there seems to be a shift.

A shift in the atmosphere. The air. The wind. The dust.

It is as though you have step foot into another world, but this world is intangible. It seems so intangible that you just have to let yourself relax into it rather than try to catch it. If you try to catch it, it will shatter and the world will shift back and you’re just left with the feeling of wanting something more.

 

Mingyu nurses his empty soda with one hand while the other mindlessly traces shapes on the table. His soggy fries are left forgotten as a fly lands on it.

The 24-hour diner Mingyu is in has ceiling lights that shines yellow, and it just so happens that the table he is sitting at has lights that keeps flickering on and off. Mingyu sighs, he knew there was this problem for the past few weeks already. Someone really needs to change this light. Or not. Mingyu sort of likes this familiarity, even if it does occasionally make him think something is wrong with his eyes. He keeps coming back to this diner once a week and this table at this time of the night. He’s just asking for it, really.

There’s a sound of a chair harshly scratching against the floor that shakes Mingyu out of his reverie. He releases his grip on the soda can and turns his head around. The waiter manning the counter walks away from his chair, which was actually for customers, to go clean the table where a customer had just left. 

The only people that were in the diner is Mingyu, the waiter, and one other customer who actually seems to be asleep. He’s sure there’s another worker working in the kitchen though. Not that he’s ever seen anyone exiting the double doors that lead to it before.

The waiter finishes up wiping the table and looks up, unintentionally making eye contact with Mingyu, Mingyu stares back at the pair of droopy eyes for a millisecond before hastily turning around. He accidentally knocks over his empty soda can and scrunches his face at the noise made in the otherwise silent diner. Mingyu gulps, plays with his hands for a few seconds before standing up and again, scrunching his face at the noise the chair made, and walks out. There was a vending machine right outside the diner and he could use another soda right now. For whatever reason he does not know.

He slips some coins into the vending machine and punches in a random button. He feels a vibration in his pocket and pulls out his phone, along with his soda (it’s Dr. Pepper, apparently) from the machine. It was an email from his workplace notifying that he will be checking in at 6am tomorrow, rather than 5am. Mingyu feels the corner of his mouth pulling up as he opens his soda with one hand and takes a long sip. In the corner of his eye, his phone tells him that it’s 2:43am. He should start going home now.

As he takes a step away from the vending machine and essentially, the diner, he suddenly feels a beat of gust hitting his face. His arms automatically reaches up to cover his face, spilling a bit of the soda on the ground and himself. 

He hears a small but unidentifiable noise as the gust stops. Mingyu lowers his arms and finds himself looking at a pair of amber eyes. Those eyes seems to widen in shock and with a roar, it tears its eyes away from Mingyu and runs into the corner behind the diner. A striped-tail glowing orange being the last thing he sees before it completely disappears.

Mingyu lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “A…a tiger?”

 

\--

 

Mingyu lets out a sigh for the nth time this morning. He cradles his head in his hands and lets out another sigh.

Last night he was sure he saw a tiger, but it’s impossible to encounter a tiger roaming in the city out of nowhere. The odd thing about it was that the tiger seemed to be a bit…bigger than a typical tiger. On its paws it reached the height of a street sign and its body kept glowing amber. There seemed to be smoke surrounding it as well.

Or at least that’s what Mingyu’s sleep deprived brain was informing him. He’s not even sure if it was his head playing tricks on him or if it was an actual sight that he saw. He hopes it’s the latter though.

Anyhow when Mingyu finally snapped out of staring at the corner where the tiger used to be, he immediately ran to the corner to see an empty street. Disappointment had welled up inside him and he felt like he lost something. 

Mingyu sighs again, then lets out an unattractive yelp when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He quickly turns around to see his coworker, who is trying to suppress a laugh.

“You seem to be out of it today, Mingyu.” Joshua observes with a small smile.

Mingyu widens his eyes and shrinks back into himself. “Sorry…” He should probably finish counting seeds instead of wallowing over last night’s event.

“Oh, no, no!” Joshua pulls his hand out of his pocket and starts waving it in front of Mingyu, the sleeves of his lab coat flapping around a little. “I didn’t mean—are you feeling okay? Is there something going on that you want to talk about with someone?”

Mingyu feels fondness for the older man growing and grins, his canines showing.

Joshua is a really kind lab assistant who looked after Mingyu when he first started working at the research lab. He was (still is) patient and guided Mingyu even when he made mistakes, like that one time when he accidentally poured zinc into the concoction instead copper and made them worked overtime to redo the whole experiment again.

“Thanks Josh, but I’m fine! I just…didn’t have enough sleep last night.” He says sheepishly. “I’m sorry if I happen to make a mistake today.”

As Joshua opens his mouth to reply, a figure suddenly crashes into him from behind and he makes a strangled noise.

“When do you _not_ make a mistake, Mingyu? Also, quit looking like you just got dumped!” 

“Jeonghan! _Where is your tact?_ ” Joshua seems to be grinding his teeth. He shrugs a shoulder to get Jeonghan off him. Jeonghan merely pouts at him, wraps his arms around Joshua tighter, and turns back to Mingyu.

“What exactly were you doing last night to lose sleep, huh?” Jeonghan asks.

Mingyu recalls amber eyes that reflected the diner’s purple neon sign. The little glint on its fang and the graceful way it moved to turn around and escape from Mingyu’s sight. 

He opens his mouth. “Am—”

The lab’s double door opens, showing their head researcher, an old man with a balding head and friendly smile. “Afraid I’ve got to interrupt your little party, guys. But your break’s over, past time actually.”

Jeonghan gasps, letting go of Joshua in favor of dramatically put a hand over his mouth. “Right! I was actually here to tell them to come back in!”

“And you forgot, haven’t you. Your short attention span still needs improvement.” Joshua says with an exasperated sigh. Despite his tone, Mingyu notices a fond smile he was shooting at Jeonghan.

A hearty laugh echoes through the hall as the head researcher turns around and walks back. “Whenever you guys are ready.”

Joshua starts a light jog to catch up. “Sorry Professor Kim, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Mingyu hears him say. The professor just keeps assuring him that it’s no problem at all.

Mingyu takes a few steps before Jeonghan’s voice stops him. “I heard you apologizing in advance for making any mistakes today.” Jeonghan grins and says warningly, “but I need to get off on time today and I do not want to see any dead plants.”

Mingyu gulps and nods his head furiously. He needs to get his head in the game today, unless he wants to be blackmailed.

 

\--

 

Tonight, Mingyu is back at the diner and is currently nursing a cup of tea. It’s not like he’s drinking tea (even though he hates it) because he’s heard that it keeps you more awake. It’s not like this is the first time he’s dropped by the 24-hour diner two days in a row, instead of once a week, because he’s a recent graduate that still needs to save money. It’s not like he’s back to see the sort-of-huge tiger or anything. Seriously, he’s _not._

Mingyu and the same waiter from yesterday were the only two present. He uneasily rubs his cup. Luckily after the conversation with Joshua and Jeonghan, Mingyu has only killed four plants in the lab today, which was a feat since he usually (accidentally) kills plants in the dozens. Mingyu remembers releasing a sigh of relief when he walked out of the lab with his two coworkers in tow. Jeonghan threw a chocolate bar at Mingyu and said it was his prize.

The diner’s bell jingles and Mingyu raises his head to look at who walked in and freezes. For a moment Mingyu is reliving yesterday night again, staring at a pair of amber eyes and that widens in surprise. He gulps, blinks, and it’s gone. The boy that previously made eye contact with him (why does he always unintentionally make eye contact with people?) briskly walks to the counter where the waiter was behind and they speak in hushed voices. 

_So they know each other?_

Mingyu quickly realizes it wasn’t in a language he understands but he still strains his ear to listen. He throws stealthy glances at the boy, which is ultimately very obvious, when the waiter heads into the backroom within minutes of their conversation.

The boy, Mingyu is not sure if the boy is actually a boy or man, was wearing a purple beanie, a giant coat over his hoodie, along with ripped jeans. All in all, the boy’s combination of clothing makes his legs look like sticks.

As though he is able to hear Mingyu’s thoughts, the boy suddenly turns around and stares at him, eyebrows furrowing. Mingyu’s notices the boy’s eyes were dark brown with no hint of amber in it, but the weight of the gaze felt somewhat, familiar.

The waiter comes back and hands the boy a grey backpack, mumbling something inaudible to Mingyu. The boy breaks away from staring at Mingyu and grabs for the backpack, says something to the waiter then starts for the door.

Mingyu’s about to just continue drinking his tea when he swears he saw a tail peeking out from under the boy’s coat as the door closes.

He waits for a few seconds before jumping out of his chair and speed walks out of the diner.

He scans his surroundings but the boy was nowhere to be seen. Mingyu hears a rustling noise from behind the corner of the diner and quietly slides to it. He pokes his head out and finally sees the sight he’s wanted to encounter again. In front of his eyes is the giant tiger from yesterday, its body glowing orange and tail swishing around. Mingyu finds himself stepping closer as the tiger turns it head around, a familiar grey backpack hanging around his mouth. 

The tiger freezes, eyes huge, and opens its mouth. The backpack falls pitifully on the floor. 

“Um, hi?” Mingyu says, unsure.

In a flash, the tiger picks up the fallen backpack with its mouth again and speeds away.

“What? Wait!” Mingyu runs after the tiger, the tiger is running into the isolated parts of the neighborhood and into alleyways. “P-Please! I—wait!?”

Mingyu, of course, cannot outrun a tiger. He almost trips at some point and soon starts feeling his lungs begging for more air. Right when the tiger turns a corner in the alley again, Mingyu puts all his strength in his right foot and lunges for the tiger, successfully catching its tail and holding them tightly.

The tiger lets out a roar and whips its tail, Mingyu loses his grip from the force and recoils. He falls on his back, eyes closed and taking a few seconds to catch his breath.

When he opens them again, steadying himself on his elbows, the boy from the diner stands where the tiger was. Hands clenching tightly, very much red-faced, expression livid, and very much naked.

Mingyu had no idea where to focus his eyes.

“You!” 

He flinches and immediately looks at the boy’s face.

“ _You_ are the _most_ annoying person I have ever seen! Who the fuck are you!? Quit following me!” The boy spits, jabbing a pointed finger in Mingyu’s direction.

Mingyu stares at him, wide-eyed. “I…” He lowers his gaze, sits up and crosses his legs. From the peripheral of his eye he sees the boy watching warily. He bites his bottom lip then looks up again, momentarily startles due to the boy’s naked body and shakes himself out of it, looking at his face again.

The boy’s eye twitches. “Spit it out!” 

Mingyu flinches again and blabs the first thing that came to his head, “your tiger form is very beautiful!”

The boy blinks owlishly, expression open and surprised. His mouth opens and closes, before deciding to clamp it shut. His eyebrows are furrowing again. “I don’t care what you think about it. Just leave me the fuck alone before I tear your head off and feed it to the wolves.”

“Wolves? Are there also people like you who turn into wolves?” Mingyu asks, a little too excitedly. He stands up and got a few steps closer to the boy, making sure to leave a decent amount of space between them.

The boy pauses in the middle of bending over to pick up his backpack, scoffs, then picks it up. “You’re really not taking me seriously, aren’t you?”

Mingyu didn’t know what to say to that, his head is scrambling to say something. _Anything_ to keep the boy from running away from him again. He looks down at his feet. “I don’t mean to…annoy you. But, I just couldn’t forget how you looked last night and I thought I was hallucinating or something! I just really wanted to prove to myself that you’re real and not something my mind made up because I was sleep deprived!”

There is a pregnant pause, in which Mingyu begins to think that the boy somehow ninja’d his escape from Mingyu again before he hears “it was still annoying anyway.”

He looks up to see the boy now looking at him, with the backpack hanging off his arm.

“Also, you’re creepy as hell. You keep _staring_ at me ever since I walked into that damned diner and—wait, did you come back to the diner again today to look for me?”

Mingyu grins and that seems to be enough of an answer for the boy, who decides to facepalm and mutters a small _why me._

Giving the boy a few more seconds to question his life, Mingyu asks:

“So, why are you naked?”

“Oh, no wonder it was starting to feel a little chilly.”

 

\--

 

Mingyu is back at the 24-hour diner, sitting across from the now-clothed boy.

The said boy is munching on his second greasy burger, he has also ordered a bowl of chicken noodle soup, French fries, and a shake. This is all coming out of Mingyu’s wallet as a deal to let him talk to the boy longer. Mingyu actually feels a little sick watching the boy gobble his food so fast.

“Uh, maybe you should slow down before you choke—”

“Maybe you should shut the fuck up.” The boy retorts, although it sounded more like _meb you shood shud da fukap._

Mingyu pouts. This is not how he expected- actually, he didn’t even think he would’ve meet the tiger at all. And then find out that the tiger was actually a boy, a man, whatever this guy is.

“Oh right, I’m Mingyu.”

The boy swallows a mouthful of burger before he replies. “Minghao.”

Mingyu gleams. “M-Ming—ha...”

Minghao sighs. “Haah, I should’ve known you can’t pronounce Chinese names. Just call me Myungho.”

Mingyu nods, a bit dejected but stores the piece of information that Minghao is Chinese away. He repeats Minghao’s pronunciation of his Chinese name a few more times in his head. “Myungho.”

“That’s me.” Minghao says before diving into his bowl of soup. Mingyu is mildy concerned that Minghao hasn’t touch his French fries yet while they’re still somewhat crunchy.

“So, you become naked after you turn from tiger to human?”

Minghao furrows his brows. “No, you idiot. I’m a shapeshifter—a tiger shapeshifter specifically, not a magician. Didn’t you see how huge I am as a tiger? My clothes would’ve ripped once I shifted. I undress before shifting so I don’t gotta keep getting new clothes. I can’t just _bibbity bobbity boo_ and mend ripped clothes or something.”

Mingyu nods. That explains the grey backpack. He pauses, “you just got the backpack today, right? Did you not wear clothes yesterday?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, you bought those clothes today?”

“I stole it.”

“What!?” Minghao giggles and Mingyu’s heart melts a little. “You stole?” His voice cracks and he tries to push the embarrassment aside. 

“Ye—ow!” Minghao yelps and raises his head to glare at the offender who whacked his head. It was the waiter who gave Minghao the backpack. “Jun, what the hell!?”

Jun sets down two slices of red velvet cake on their table, and Mingyu switches from looking at the slices of cake to Minghao and then back to the cake slices. 

“You ordered two more slices of cake?” Mingyu groans, calculating the cost of Minghao’s meal in his head.

“It’s on the house.” Jun interrupts his turmoil with a smile and Mingyu swears he can see a halo on top of Jun’s head. Or maybe it’s just the yellow light in the diner playing tricks on him. Anyway, Mingyu feels so touched he could cry.

“And they’re both for me.” Minghao says, pulling the two plates of cake towards him. Mingyu huffs but doesn’t say anything else.

“All the foods Minghao ordered would’ve been on the house too, but there's only so much I can secretly stash for Minghao before my boss notices.” Jun informs, sitting on the empty chair to Minghao’s right. “Also, he got these clothes from me.”

“How’d you guys know each other?” Mingyu asks, looking at Minghao eating one of the cake slice. He glances up then away, slowly sliding the other plate over to Mingyu. Grinning, he picks up a fork and starts digging in.

Minghao grumbles. “None of your business.” 

“Oh, Hao.” Jun chastises, giving Minghao’s head a few pats. Minghao looks like he was ready for murder when Jun suddenly speaks again, hands withdrawn. “We were in the same dance troupe when we were younger.” There’s a sound of a growl, “until Hao caught a certain noble’s eye.” 

Minghao stood up from his seat, a harsh noise echoes throughout the diner. “You talk too much, Jun.” Now he _really_ looks like he’s about to murder Jun.

“Minghao—”

“Don’t ‘Minghao’ me! This is _my_ business. _My_ life. You have no right to be going around and telling some rando about it! Especially when you know that I don’t want you to!”

Jun looks worn out, his eyebrows drooping when he switches to Chinese.

Whatever it is that Jun said Minghao looks even more angry, if that was even possible, and replies in Korean through clenching teeth, “don’t you bother pretending you care about me now when you abandoned me for years on end.” 

And then he storms out of the diner. 

Mingyu looks at Minghao’s retreating back and then to Jun. He was torn between following Minghao or staying to console a distraught looking Jun. If Jun even deserved consoling, did Minghao just say that Jun abandoned him? “What did you _say_ to him? And—did you abandon him or something?” Mingyu knew he was in no right to question Jun, but…Minghao’s face when he turned away from Jun to leave. It was…

“I was too young.” He snaps his attention back to Jun. “We were _both_ young, when Minghao caught the noble’s attention and the nobleman decided to buy him from the dance troupe with a large amount of money. The dance troupe was all Minghao and I had, we had no family and the troupe basically took us in and fed us. Kept us alive along with many other kids in the same situation. Of course, I fought and argue with the troupe leaders so they wouldn’t sell Minghao but…I was too powerless and then Minghao was gone.” Jun shrinks back into himself, looking even smaller.

“I resented the troupe and wanted to leave right away to, to get Minghao back. But I was still too young and wouldn’t be able to survive on my own. Even if I did leave to search for Minghao, I wouldn’t be able to take care of him either. I stayed with the troupe for a few more years then left when I was fifteen, but by then, I had no idea how to find him. I didn’t even know what the nobleman’s name was! Of course Minghao would be angry at me, he probably waited and waited for me to come for him but I never did. He’s just like a brother to me and I failed him.”

“But, he’s…here now?” Mingyu asks, unsure.

“He told me he’s managed to escape less than a week ago and then happened to find me here. But he didn’t approach me until yesterday because he was worried if I’d even remember him, that silly boy, how could I forget him?” Jun sighs, a smile slowly crawling up his face again, addressing Mingyu.

“And apparently, you found him.”

 

\--

 

Mingyu found Minghao sitting in a ball right outside the diner by the vending machine, and decides to squat down next to him.

“So, Jun told me some. Stuff.”

“Yeah? And has anyone told you you’re annoying?”

Mingyu laughs, “well has anyone told you you’re infuriating?”

Minghao’s flares his nose as he stares at Mingyu. 

“I know it’s none of my business, but maybe you should’ve heard what Jun told me inside—”

“I heard.” Minghao interrupts, staring straight ahead and refusing to look at Mingyu, “I heard.”

He looks at Minghao for a second longer before turning to look straight ahead as well. 

“I’ve been in that noble-ass-man’s grasp for over ten years now.” Surprised, Mingyu lets out a small _oh,_ his mouth staying in the small pout shape.

Minghao laughs and Mingyu feels his heart clench.

“I… tried running away many times but always failed. Every failed attempt resulted in a worst punishment but I was going to survive. I _did_ survive and will continue to do so.” Minghao lowers his gaze and plays around with his own hands. Mingyu glances at them, those hands that Minghao probably used to punch anyone that got in his way, and then those legs that has probably knocked a few guys unconscious. 

“They bought me because I was a shifter, y’know. I was basically a house pet—or some kinda animal in their makeshift circus. It was fucked up.” Minghao changes his sitting position, crossing his legs and turns his torso towards Mingyu. Minghao’s eyes were looking somewhere behind him.

“When you saw me yesterday, you looked at me as if I was, I dunno. _Something more_ , like I wasn’t just some interesting creature you’ve never seen before that you’ll get bored of in no time. I got a bit curious about you too, honestly.”

Mingyu’s about to call Minghao a creeper as well, but decides to keep his mouth shut. He doesn’t want to ruin the moment. If this is a moment. 

“I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore,” Minghao bites his lower lip and Mingyu’s eyes were drawn to the movement but immediately gears his eyes up again. “But, thanks for reaching out for me.” And not looking at Minghao’s lips was the best decision ever, because now Minghao was looking at him with a small smile and those eyes that were shining with amber and something else.

Mingyu lets out a breath he doesn’t realize he’s holding. “Yeah,” he says, voice a little breathier than he liked. “You’re beautiful.”

Three seconds passed before Mingyu realizes he’s actually said that out loud and Minghao was flushing red. 

“You—you idiot! What the fuck are you saying!?” Minghao yelps and whacks Mingyu’s shoulder.

Mingyu laughs, allowing Minghao to smack him a few more times, it isn’t like it hurts anyway. Minghao’s not hitting him hard enough to hurt him.

“I know I just met you and all but, I won’t let them take away your freedom again.” Mingyu says.

Minghao stares at him in disbelief then scoffs, but speaks with a voice that sounds a bit fond.

“I’m not a damsel in distress, I can take care of myself.”

 

 

When day becomes night, there seems to be a shift.

A shift in the atmosphere. The air. The wind. The dust.

It is as though you have step foot into another world but truth is, many magical beings are more active at night. It is when they come out of hiding and free themselves from unforgiving eyes during the day. This world is almost a secret. It seems so secretive that if you want to be part of it then you need to catch it. And once you’re able to catch it, then you may have found yourself something more.

 

 

“Hey, idiot.” 

“What, sourpatch?”

“Are you…are you _just_ human?” Minghao asks, voice uncharacteristically soft and small.

Mingyu stares at the stars and makes a wish in his head. He counts to three then replies.

“Yeah, I’m just human.”

And this was the biggest lie the young necromancer has ever told.

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea what im doing...LOL ive never written before and i wrote this at assclock in the morning
> 
> im thankful to anyone who manages to reach the end!


End file.
